history of klife

HISTORY OF KLIFE

Since 1926, Kanakuk Kamps, a Christian summer adventure sports camp, has been ministering to kids in an athletic environment in and around Branson, Missouri. Since Kanakuk was highly successful in reaching teenagers for Christ, parents voiced their need for follow-up ministry to continue their spiritual growth throughout the year. Joe White, owner of Kanakuk, and Richard Beach, then a Kamp director, began to talk and pray about this need. What could be done to continue the experience students encountered with the Lord at camp?

In 1979, Joe and Richard met with laymen from Colorado and campers parents from St. Louis. All parties involved shared similar insights about facilitating the growth of kids’ faith throughout the year. The purpose of KLIFE would be a discipleship ministry that would provide an ongoing environment for students to continue their spiritual growth.

The first KLIFE ministry began in St. Louis in 1979. In the fall of 1982 the second KLIFE chapter began in Kansas City. In subsequent years, with the continuous outpouring of God’s blessing, KLIFE Ministries now reaches from Florida to Wyoming.

After several years of development under the leadership of Doulos Ministries, KLIFE grew to the point of requiring its own parent organization. In the fall of 1989, KLIFE Ministries, Inc. was formed. In 1996, a permanent National Board was added to the structure of the National Support Center, and in 1997 the NSC headquartered in Conway, Arkansas.

In the summer of 2002, KLIFE moved it’s National Support Center back to the place of its birth, Branson, Missouri. This move allowed KLIFE to be closer to it’s sister ministries, Kanakuk Kamps, Kids Across America, and the Kanakuk Institute.